Sick of talking about Newcastle, so lets talk about the fashion team of the moment and probably the dark horses to take Man Utd's crown next season, Man City.

Strongest team at the end of last season (off the top of my head, it will be wrong)

---------------------Given---------------------

Richards-------Dunne---Kompany----Bridge

SWP---------Ireland------De Jong----Elano

--------------Bellamy------Robihno-------------

Pretty good on paper and didnt do too badly although i felt Robinho faded after an electrifying start. Dunne is the weak link but will be replaced this summer, more than likely by Terry, who will potentially turn them into title challengers.

So far, they have signed Tevez, Santa Cruz and Barry. Adebayor will probably sign today or tomorrow as they are just waiting on a work permit. I know people on here have said that Terry wont go but i think he will and i think he would be stupid to dismiss the opportunity, not only for the cash but because Man City look like they are going places.

That would mean that they would be starting the season something like this:

---------------------Given---------------------

Richards-----Terry---Kompany------Bridge

SWP---------Ireland------De Jong----Robinho

--------------Tevez------Adebayor-------------


or even changing it around a bit for a 4-3-3 option of

---------Ireland-----De Jong----Robihno

---------Tevez-----Adebayor----Bellamy/Santa Cruz

Thats an awesome attacking half of the pitch and arguably betters anything in the Premiership currenty.

Questions for me are:

What do you think of Sunderland?

Can Man City break into the top 4?

Can they go even further and win the league?

How long will Hughes last?

Which of the top 4 will they displace?

Will the spending stop after this summer, or go on longer?

For me, i'd say yes, they can break into the top 4, although winning the league may be a bit of a bridge too far this season. Hughes will be given this season to prove that he has built a team capable of challenging Man Ud. I'd like to see Liverpool drop out of the top 4 but i can see it being Arsenal and if not, Chelsea. I don't think the money will dry up until they have conquered Europe, which will probably take 3 years.

Thoughts?

they need a CB, then if the squad gels quickly they will break into the top 4, if it doesn't then mid-table beckons and hughes will get the sack

ok my first post.
i was planning on getting straight into the spleen venting regarding newcastle, but i feel i need to build up to that.

so

re citeh

i can see them finishing top four. blackburn and chelsea had pretty instantanious success following their huge cash injections. the money is being spent fairly wisely. there's no doubting the quality of the players being bought - but i question the need for 9 centre forwards - and no defensive purchases (so far anyway). so if hughes can get this team playing and keep the players happy - then why not?

as long as stephen ireland keeps his place - i thought he was outstanding last season.

im not sure itll be liverpool who'll drop from the big 4 - more than likely arsenal. it will be interesting (to a point) to see what happens....how ancelotti will do, if arsenal buy, whether owen will be a success, if benitez can keep his head. could be the most competetive race for the title in years.

ultimately citeh need to buy defenders. cant see terry moving. lescott maybe. and if they dont finish top 4 this season, or win a cup, then hughes might be on his way.

its frightening the shite out of the manure fans. thats a good thing

I can't see them finishing top 4. All this throwing money around, will come to nothing I reckon. I think they'll finish somewhere near the top though.

They now have far too many forward players, it will cause rifts in the team as players won't be playing, Hughes will try and change it around a lot which to give players playing time, which will also unsettle the team, too many big name players, a manager who can't demand respect, etc. Terry or not, I don't think they'll get top 4.

Hughes played a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 last year, rarely 4-4-2 - so don't really know how he will play.

But how do you fit Tevez, Robinho, Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Bellamy, SWP, Elano, Petrov, Benjani, Bojinov, Caicedo, Evans, Etuhu, etc... into the same team.

I honestly don't think Hughes has what it takes to make Man Shitty a top 4 team.

Well we could always sign some of their less good attacking players.

Oh wait, we're in the Championship...

evans is probably an option. on loan.
oh god.

obviously i was meant to reply to the post above this one. ill get the hang of it

wing backs maybe

They will have a good start beofre hitting a slight rocky patch when player start complaining that they are not playing regularly. Hughes will come out and say that they knew there would be rife competiton for places when they signed and they are being paid very well to be at citeh.
They will end up 6th or 7th and tevez will piss off to spain

Agreed

i think their team would be:

Given

Richards Terry Kompany/Lescott Bridge

Barry De Jong

Ireland

Tevez Robinho

Adebayor

I personally think it will take the team at least year to gel together... then i think they will seriously challenge the top 4..

i believe the closest team to breaking the top 4 is everton... if they just had a bit more backing in the transfer market they would do very very well. I think they deserve to be in that top 4 with the structure of the club. Great chairman/ good youth and alot of decent english players.

What he said

And Hughes will last the season - no longer (hopefully)

Has anyone else noticed that exactly the same set of retards have been interviewed outside Eastlands for the last 3 days on the bounce, They must be on a break from shoplifting in the Asda over the road! They should stand the fuckers under B of The Bang and have a sweepstake on which one gets speared by a giant steel icicle first

Agree 100%

If they do end up finishing just 6th or 7th, expect Hughes to get the sack.

Definitely agree they need a quality centre back if not 2. Kompany has played midfield since he arrived rather than at the back.

Dont know what Martin Petrov's fitness is like since his injury but if fit think he could offer them a bit of balance and supply down the left rather than the likes of Elano playing out there or of course there is Barry who could play there - im assuming he will fit in somewhere after they paid all that money for him.

No chance of winning the league I dont think and I dont think they will break into the top 4 either, if they did I would say it would be ahead of Arsenal as unless Wenger spends some dosh on a couple of top class experienced players then they are by far the weakest team in there as shown last season when Villa really should have capatalised.

Think Hughes certainly needs to come 5th or 6th or will surely be out of a job and even that may not be enough.

Think the spending will continue, as I say I think they need at least 1 top class centre back. No doubt they will probably buy another striker

I've got a feeling he has an ultimatum, "Champions League or you're out"

Whilst I dont doubt that is probably true Yella I think it would be harsh. I think as a manager no matter how much money you spend you need time to mould a team (something we should take note of) and whilst the owners of Man Citeh may disagree I think a 5th or 6th place finish for them would be good progress.

I agree, but we know too well that when clubs spend big, the board sets high targets and the fans become mesmorised, if he doesnt qualify for the champions league, the fans will turn on Hughes big time just like we did after Souness blew millions on players and we were still stuck in midtable.

A top 6 finish i agree would represent great progress but whether it is enough for the owners and fans to accept is another matter.

To be honest I hope it fucking implodes spectacularly but maybe im just bitter

Most of that i bet is pure jealousy, then again its hard not to be at the moment

Hmm its not really jealousy to be honest mate ive just never really liked that club anyway, their arrogance now with a bit of arab cash just makes them even more annoying.

Of course id take being in their position rather than ours at the moment but I can honestly say that in an ideal world im against these big foreign consortiums, id much rather a wealthy UK ower came in and built us up gradually from the ground up.

Its what Ashley tried to do but he quite clearly fucked the majority of it up but being owned by some faceless foreigner on a power trip to prove how wealthy he is really doesnt appeal to me.

Of course if one made a bid tomorrow id have a tea towel around my head and be welcoming them with open arms quicker than you can say joe kinnear

Adebayor is now a Man City player, yet another striker

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ity/8149488.stm

And they're still determined tog et both Terry and Lescott

Another w#nker makes his way to City for the love of the game.

If Arsenal can get Adebayor for £25m, we can get £15m for Ameobi

From who?

Here is Adebayor's reaction:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player...tid=29944771001

You fucking what son? Can't understand a word that bloke says. Something about selling out.

Honestly i'm not sad to see the back of him. Hes was lazy last season. 25 million is a good return on our investment and hiopefully we can get a combative central midfielder and another striker for it.

Totally agree, im hoping Citeh come in for a £40 million double swoop for Smith and Shola

Arsenal laughing all the way to the bank, £24,999,999 too much for that guy for me.

Can't find a direct quote online for it, but was on Sky Sports News this morning that Adebayor said he turned down 'bigger' offers from Barcelona and Milan because of his ambition to win trophies.

Now we all know the real reason for his move, but he could at least try and think of something to say that could be slightly believed.

Ahhh come on, he's not that bad. His goal scoring rate at Arsenal is nearly one in two, which suggests he's a reasonable Premier League striker.

£25 million though?

That's what you pay for world-class strikers, not Emmanuel Adebayor. Think Arsenal may just have got the better deal there.

Oh course I was exagerating slightly mate, I just think hes an extremely over rated player.

His goal record at Arsenal is pretty decent but in a team that creates a lot of chances probably could have been better but he misses a lot of chances.

I know it doesnt really matter to City but they have been ripped off and could have surely got a top top striker for that money - Huntalaar is one name off the top of my head.

He's jsut talking bullshit, why would Barcelona offer to make him their highest paid player when he isn't fit enough to lace Lionel Messi's boots?

Infact, after the poor season he's just had by his standards, i would'nt be suprised if Barclona and/or AC Milan wern't even interested in signing him.

Hes just one of those players who believes his own hype and thinks hes better than he is. Barca wouldnt having making the tea never mind getting in the team ahead of Eto'o, Henry or Messi. Gudjonsson who rarely gets a look in at Barca is probably better than him for me.

Well, no John Terry buy Kolo Toure instead isnt a bad 2nd choice, they have shown that paying over the odds on players isnt out of the question, so i'd expect to see Lescott in the Blue of Manchester before too long.

Why did we get mugged when it came to selling Given?

You need to ask?

I think if you offered Arsenal fans £42m for Adebayor and Toure at the end of last year, most of them would of snapped your hand off.

Toure is a very good CB, but not exceptional. He has areas of his game which are very weak, as people have seen. He also can't play with Gallas, and Gallas is a much better player.

Arsenal have done another good bit of business. They have 7 CB's. Just bought a young CB who has done well in Holland and now have £17m in the bank.

I really dont give a fuck about Man Citeh, that is all